professional affiliations:

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Dr. Krynska is studying the basic biology of adult-derived stem cells and testing their potential for repair of the injured nervous system. She is interested in the characterization, behavior, and plasticity of neural and mesenchymal stem cells and the understanding of environmental signals that govern the fate of these cells. This is accomplished by manipulating the tissue culture environment in vitro and by transplantations of stem cells in vivo. One of the recent models that she is working on is a retinoic acid-induced model of spina bifida in fetal rats that mimics human myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida. Dr. Krynska is investigating the role of prenatal transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells on repairing the spina bifida defects in this model. A novel aspect of the research is to deliver mesenchymal cells after seeding them on a frame/scaffolding to engineer tissue for repair in situ. Another way of creating a scaffold for stem cells is to build a vascular framework, which is a key component of the in vivo environment and a necessary precondition for the successful engraftment of functional engineered tissue after injury. In collaboration with Drs. Kiani and Wang in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Krynska is utilizing immunoliposomes specifically targeting cell adhesion molecules to deliver proangiogenic compounds to injured tissue after myocardial infarction in addition to implantation of mesenchymal stem cells.

Dr. Krynska is also interested in exploring the role of stem cells in the origin and therapy of primary brain tumors. She is utilizing the oncoprotein of the human polyomavirus JCV, T-antigen, as a tool to delineate the role of stem/progenitor cells in the genesis of brain tumors. The ultimate goal of this study is to utilize these cells to explore the possible mechanisms of transformation of adult stem cells into cancer stem cells and to eventually apply this information for controlling oncogenic cell transformation. In addition, this information will allow for the determination of the safety and preclinical efficacy of stem cells in regenerative medicine. In collaboration with Drs. Gordon and Khalili in the Department of Neuroscience, Dr. Krynska is applying the JCV T-antigen induced stem cell model to study the pathogenesis of JCV- associated diseases.